Eds. Winston Smith and Dave Carley

Abstract

The five plays in this collection have, its introduction warns us, “virtually nothing in common except that they are strong first plays that merit further production and attention.” A clever disclaimer, that undercuts all potential critical carping about the lack of unity in theme, geographical antecedents or tone of the disparate parts of New Works I. One is glad, for both purposes of academic study and subsequent production, to see these five recent plays gathered and made available to those interested in following the convoluted unfoldings of Canadian drama across this land. That said, one is somewhat at a loss as to what more can be fairly and usefully said about the collection.